


Duet for a Pianist and a Violinist

by oceanicmars



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Gen, Minor Iron Bull/Dorian Pavus, SO MUCH FLUFF, almost everyone is a musician too, and some angst but thts later on, and some lavellan ocs of mine, i cant do proper tags, i will tag like major warning though i promise, lots of friggin fluff too, meanwhile cullen and elavi are awkward dorks, the entire inquisition crew is here, they all think elavi and cullen is cute and wonder why they arent dating, they're dating but not the main couple
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-25 08:31:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9811388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oceanicmars/pseuds/oceanicmars
Summary: Cullen Rutherford, honorably discharged and suffering from PTSD and other mental illnesses, is a pianist who lives in a small town where everyone knows everyone. It's here where he meets Elavi Lavellan, a bubbly violinist who wants nothing more than to socialize with him, and make him socialize with others it seems. Bonding over their love for music, this is their tale.---- ---- ----modern au where cullen and my inquisitor are musicians (well, almost everyone is tbh) and are awkward dorks who are clearly into one another but can't figure out how to handle that. meanwhile, everyone makes bets on when they start dating.





	

Cullen Rutherford had honestly fucked up.

There was no other way to put it. He had honest to god fucked up today, and heaven above did he know he was officially screwed should he see Cassandra again. Granted, tomorrow he could just apologize and admit that yes, he was being reckless, and that as usual she was right, but did he deserve forgiveness?

No. He messed up, he was in the wrong, and as much as he wanted forgiveness, he knew that his actions were childish, immature, and downright shameful.

He sighed, and rubbed his face, the chill winds of autumn dancing around his body. His service dog, a german shepherd named Captain, whined softly at him, getting closer to him, clearly worried. He smiled softly, and pat the dog’s head once. A little “I’m okay” signal. Looking back up, he realized he hasn’t wandered far, he knew the area somewhat. But he didn’t want to go home just yet. He needed to think, needed to clear his head.

 

How long has it been now? Half a year? Maybe a year.

A former army captain, he was sent into the battlefield plenty of times. He had seen countless deaths and meaningless bloodshed for years and years. Finally, his career ended with a honorable discharge around the spring sometime last year. But the pain, the horror, it all remained within him. Endless nights of screaming and panicking, his memories haunting him, he suffered in agony, resenting the deeds he had done.

He began to see a therapist after a month. He had been taught to not show weakness, to be strong and trek on despite the odds. But that single month had broken him, and he needed help. His therapist, Leliana, recommended medication, group therapy, but nothing really helped. His service dog has been a god send, but he still felt anxious, depressed, still felt a certain dread hanging over him. It didn’t help that he had settled down in a completely new town, where he knew nobody, and couldn’t bring himself to socialize either.

It wasn’t until Leliana recommended he take up a hobby that he started to feel a bit better.

He used to play piano when he was younger, before he joined the military. He still remembered the basics, and it was a rather beautiful sounding instrument. And, ironically, he knew someone who could help him relearn everything.

 

Cassandra Pentaghast was a friend he made when he moved out here, this being a small town and all, and somehow became pretty close despite the short time he had been here. She was originally from a wealthy family, only to rebel against their “shrewd ways” by running out here and opening a music studio, as well as giving piano lessons when scheduled. So he asked if he could enroll in her tutoring every Tuesday and Wednesday, and up until today, things had gone swell. He learned how to play again, and he thought he was quite good.

Every Tuesday he would play a piece Cassandra recommended him the previous Wednesday, which she would critique and help him better shape his playing. Wednesday’s she would help him with his new piece, and offer insight on what she believed was best for certain parts.

He prefered it this way. Rather than linger on one thing for too long, he could move on and apply the knowledge from the last piece to the new one. It was always fun practicing as well.

 

Except today. Cullen could not understand a word she said. She made no sense, the piece was garbage to him, he quickly got irritated and ultimately exploded at the poor woman. Slamming his hands onto the keyboard, he yelled at her before grabbing his belongings and rushing out the studio with Captain following.

“This is _absolute_ garbage!” he had yelled, “How am I supposed to understand such a shit piece?! I can do better than this and you know it. I have to do better and all you’re doing is holding me back!”

That was the worst, most shittiest thing he had ever done.

 

He groaned, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He cannot believe what a childish asshole he was. He had to go and apologize tomorrow, she didn’t deserve that. Nobody did. God, he really didn’t deserve forgiveness. What a complete asshole--

Captain whined again, and he sighed, smiling.

“Sorry boy,” he murmured, “I’ll be okay. I promise.”

 

Just as he turned the corner to head down fifth street, he heard a faint sound. At first, he thought it was just his imagination, but as they walked down the street the sound, which he now realized wasn’t just a sound, got louder. It wasn’t until he was in front of Skyhold park that he could properly hear it, a violin… accompanied by possibly another instrument?

Curiosity won him over. He began to head down the beaten path, trees surrounding him as he ventured in. The sun shone through the leaves, guiding him towards the performance. As he got closer, it became clear someone was performing a piece, one he hasn’t heard before, accompanied by… by…

“Is that _suppose_ to be a piano?” he asked aloud, appalled by the hideous, recorded noises being played at the moment. It sounded like the piano, but it wasn’t a _proper_ piano. The keys were being smashed, and while it kept with the tempo, it didn’t sound lyrical at all. Whoever had recorded the piano was an absolute disgrace to the instrument.

But the violin? When it began to play once more, it was beautiful. The complete opposite of the piano noises he had heard. Filled with emotion, passion, it echoed and shook the park with it’s power, and Cullen was entranced by it. His feet now moved on it’s own as he quickened the pace to find the player, and before he knew it, he reached a clearing within the trees. His breath was stolen away by the scene before him.

 

She stood proudly as she played, her eyes shut as her body moved with the instrument. Her hair gleamed gold as the sun shone down on it, every movement causing it to shimmer and blind any who saw. She was dancing, her feet moving with each stroke of the bow. This scene was absolutely beautiful to the point where Cullen felt like he was intruding on a very intimate moment.

Anyone could tell with just one look that she passionately loved the violin.

He stood in awe, watching the performance as she swayed and danced with her violin, lost in her own world. The small radio by her feet, which had to have been playing the god awful piano, was completely drowned out by her playing. She looked absolutely radiant.

With a few final strokes, ending on a very dynamic, powerful sound, she stopped, breathing heavily before opening her eyes. Cullen couldn’t help but clap, which caused her to jump, but she soon grinned and bowed.

 

“That was amazing!” he exclaimed, “You were beautiful--” his heart skipped, and he quickly added it, “Your violin playing was beautiful!”

Cullen couldn’t tell if his slip up unfazed her, or if she hadn’t heard, for all she did was tuck a few strands of hair behind her ear and smiled.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice like bell chimes, “I, uhm, I hadn’t expected an audience. Was I playing too loud? I hope I didn’t disturb your dog.”

“What? Oh, Captain, he’s fine, he likes music, especially good music,” he almost goes on but he soon realizes what a pretentious asshole he sounds like, so he blushes, scratches the back of his head, and says, “The violin was marvelous. He really liked it.”

“And you?”

“Me?”

“Yes! You’re the only human here, aren’t you?”

 

He blinks, before smiling and saying, “I loved it. It was spectacular. I haven’t heard such amazing playing in years.”

“And the piano?”

“The what?”

“The--” she hesitates, clutching her violin closely to her body, “--The piano. Did it sound okay?”

 

 _He_ now hesitates, looking to the side.

It was shit.

But that’s really rude, and he knows it.

 

“Do… do you want my honest opinion or a more buttered up version?” he asks.

“The honest truth!”

“Well... it was absolute shit.”

 

 _Dammit_! He groans, and slaps his hand over his face. Why was he like this.

“I-I mean,” he begins to say, “It could be improved on but--”

“Why are you upset?”

He moves his hand away to look at her, and to his surprise, she seems unfazed, in fact, she seems… relieved?

 

“Erm, I’m confused. Why aren’t you upset?”

“Me? Well,” she smiles, “I knew it was horrible. But I just wanted to ask.”

He freezes, completely stunned. Soon though, he bursts into a fit of laughter.

 

“I’ll be,” he breathes out, “I was honestly worried I had hurt your feelings.”

“Not at all! I’ve heard worse from Alpha.”

“Alpha?”

“My boss! And my best friend.”

“His name is Alpha?”

“Their name is Alpha,” she corrects, “They prefer they/them pronouns, and told me to tell everyone I talk to when mentioning them.”

Cullen apologizes quickly, to which she just smiles and says, “It’s okay! Anyways, Alpha is their nickname. Speaking of names!!”

 

She gets a bit closer to Cullen, extending a hand out to him, beaming. He now realizes her hair isn’t gold, but silver. Her eyes are a bright, almost unnatural green, and she has freckles littered on her face here and there.

“I am Elavi Lavellan,” she says, “And you are?”

His heart seems unnaturally loud as he takes her hand, realizing how petite and soft it was.

“Cullen, Cullen Rutherford,” he says, giving her a firm shake, “Pleasure.”

“Oh! Are you the new city boy that moved in?” Elavi asks, and Cullen is taken aback yet again.

“City boy?”

“Mmhm! All the guests at the cafe were gossiping about some city boy who they’ve seen around lately, or an army man. Either way, they said he’s been here a while but won’t talk to anyone!”

He almost flinches, but stands strong.

“That would… that is me, yes,” he says, “But, I’m no longer an army man, nor have I ever been a city boy. Where did that even come from?"

“Oh! Well, I assume it was you, but I didn’t know. I’m so sorry. But, well, I’ll be sure to let the guests know if I hear them spreading rumors then. Since I know the truth, that gossip is now nasty rumors that must be stopped!”

 

He laughs at her words, they were quiet bubbly, and he soon hears her join in, her laughter like small bells, chiming in a soft breeze. As the laughter dies down, they just smile at one another.

“So, can I have my hand back or…” Elavi then says, and Cullen looks down to find them still holding hands, and he blushes, letting go immediately.

“I’m sorry!” he says, and she laughs again, “I didn’t realize…”

“It’s okay, don’t worry,” she giggles, “Your hands felt firm and sturdy. Very dependable.”

“Well, uhm,” he tries so hard not to sound like a smartass, “I play the piano if that has anything to do with dependable hands.”

“Oh! You play the piano?” Elavi asks, eyes shimmering in delight. He nods, and she practically bounces up and down in glee before saying, “This is so interesting! How long have you been playing?”

“I played when I was younger, but quit when I joined the army,” he says, “I picked it up recently, my friend is helping me relearn.”

“Oh! Perhaps I know them?”

“Her name is Cassandra Pentaghast. She owns the music studio down by the shop district.”

 

Elavi’s eyes shone bright, and she nodded furiously.

“I do know her! Dorian tells me how she’s a really good teacher, I’ve been meaning to stop by! I heard she’s very pretty too!”

“She is. A bit intimidating if you’re not prepared though.”

“It’s okay! Alpha is pretty intimidating. Y’know, you should visit our bookstore! Alpha and I work in the cafe section. I would love it if you saw one of our performances!”

“You perform at your workplace?”

“I do! Alpha plays the cello so we perform together every Tuesdays and Thursdays! Occasionally, we perform Saturdays if we have time. They own the place anyways.”

“I would like to watch. What’s it called?”

“Forest Retreat, but the cafe is called Golden Poppy. Ask anyone on the streets and they’ll show you where it is!”

“Golden Poppy. I’ll remember it. Thank you for the invitation. Is it okay for me to bring Captain?”

“Of course! Service dogs are always welcome. They’re such hard workers!”

 

To that, Captain makes a happy snort of sorts, and Elavi giggles. She then motions for Cullen to follow. He does, and they head over to where her violin case and bag are.

“The more the merrier!” she says, gently placing her violin in it’s case, “We have a bunch of regulars anyways who show up, it’d be nice to throw a newbie into the mix! It’ll be nice to know some faces in the town anyways, right?”

“I suppose,” Cullen says, watching, “I’ve been here for a while but never really mingled with anyone.”

“Exactly! It’s a great chance for you to meet my friends, customers, and people who can help you in the long run, y’know? Especially Iron Bull, he’s the local handyman and fixes everything--”

“ _Iron Bull_.”

“Nickname! His real name is Ashkaari, but we call him Iron Bull, or just Bull!”

“Does everyone here have a nickname?”

 

She hums for a bit, before standing up with her items in tow, smiling.

“Nah, just Alpha and Iron Bull! They’re probably the coolest people I know.”

Cullen can’t help but chuckle a bit. “I see,” he says, “I can’t wait to meet them.”

“You’d like them!” she says, “All my friends are pretty cool! They’re my family.”

Cullen smiles fondly at her, not wanting to ask what she truly meant by that in fears of being rude. Instead, he tries to change subjects.

 

“How long have you played violin?” he asks, walking beside her as they begin to head out of the park. She hums again, before puffing her cheeks up and blowing a raspberry.

“I dunno, since I was able to hold the violin?” she says in a carefree manner, “I’ve always played it. It’s just always been with me. I can’t imagine a world without my violin.”

He chuckles, and says “You really are fond of it, aren’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“When I saw you playing, I could tell you loved playing with all your heart. Your performance, you’re emotions, it was all raw and passionate. I was in awe.”

“Really?” Elavi asks, sounding in awe herself, “Did you really think that?”

“I-I did,” he says, realizing how embarrassing it was to say that aloud, “It was beautiful.”

“That’s the most sweetest thing anyone has ever told me!” she exclaims, Cullen noticing a skip to her step now, “Thank you so much Cullen! Wow! I feel so giddy from that.”

“I’m happy my words made you feel giddy,” he says, amused at her bubbliness, “I’m just happy I didn’t screw this up.”

 

When she looked at him curiously, he scratched the back of his neck.

“I uh, I exploded at Cassandra today. I had all this pent up frustration and I unfairly lashed out at her. I ran away, but I feel awful about it.”

“Well, you should definitely apologize to her,” Elavi says, “And explain why you did that! But don’t make excuses. What you did was wrong, and you have to admit it. I’m sure she’ll forgive you if you’re honest!”

“Even if I was a complete jackass?”

“Honesty shows you respect her! So yes, even if you were, just be sincere and own up to your mistakes!”

A brief silence, before Elavi chuckles and wraps a couple of strands of hair around her finger, and says “Alpha told me that.”

“They’re a very wise person,” Cullen says, “I hope they like me.”

“I’m sure they will!” Elavi says happily, “So long as you’re honest and true! They remind me a lot of a soldier, so I’m sure you two will get along great!”

 

Cullen just smiles. Elavi continues to ramble on about how Alpha taught her many things, and before he knows it, they’ve exited the park.

“I uh, I’ll see you on Thursday-- tomorrow then?” Cullen asks, “Do you mind if I bring Cassandra?”

“Not at all!” Elavi happily says, “The more the merrier! And I hope you patch things up with her properly!”

“As do I. Thank you, Elavi.”

“Thank you!” she counters, and he’s a bit surprised as she goes on, “It was so nice talking to someone new, and getting new input on my playing! I can’t wait to see you tomorrow! The performance is at noon so stop by before then! I’ll be waiting!!”

 

She waves, and bounces down the road, humming the song she just played earlier. Cullen watches her go, before scratching the back of his head, a bit embarrassed. He begins to head down to Cassandra’s, set on properly apologizing. But at the same time...

 _Pull yourself together man_ , he tells himself, _you’re a grown man._

It was hard not to think about the way Elavi laughed or smiled though.

 

Finally, he reached the music studio. Shaking his head, and taking a deep breath, he walked in. The bell hung on the door rang, and he heard someone hurrying to the entrance. Of course, Cassandra’s head popped out from the hall, and she looked… relieved? Angry? He really wasn't sure.

“Cullen!” Cassandra breathed out, rushing over to him, “There you are! I was worried for you.”

“I’m sorry,” he says, “I was in the wrong. I shouldn’t have gotten so angry.”

“It’s fine. Well, not exactly. But I understand. What happened? Where did you go?”

“Out,” he hesitates a bit, wondering if her should tell her everything, but then remembers the invitation, “I went for a walk and found myself in Skyhold park. I met a girl there.”

“Who? Do I know her?”

“She said a person named Dorian mentioned you. Her name is Elavi Lavellan.”

“I have heard of her. Never met her. Dorian has talked about her before though.”

“So you do know this Dorian fellow.”

“Yes, he’s a sociable man who is very fond of her. He praises her violin skills often.”

“She is very good,” Cullen says quickly, “An amazing player. I saw her perform in the park, it was beautiful. Better than anything I had ever heard.”

 

Cassandra raises an eyebrow, and takes her time thinking before saying “I see. I would like to see for myself then how she performs.”

“About that, she invited me tomorrow to see her performance at the Golden Poppy--” he rocks back on his heels, a bit bothered at the amused look on Cassandra’s face, “And I was wondering if you’d like to come along.”

“I suppose I can, when is it?”

“At noon. I planned on going half an hour early.”

“... Alright, I’ll come. I’ve been meaning to go anyways, this is a perfect chance for me to see her skills for once. Thank you for inviting me.”

“It’s nothing,” he murmurs, “She was the one who offered first anyways.”

 

Silence, and Cullen bites his lip before sighing.

“Cassandra, I--” he looked to the side, sighs, before looking her in the eye, “--I’m really sorry about today. I was a complete jackass. I shouldn’t of lashed out at you, I was the one who wasn’t correct. You of all people don’t deserve that.”

Another moment of silence. This time though it made Cullen extremely nervous. What would she say? What did she think?

Instead, Cassandra sighed, and crossed her arms.

 

“I was very upset when you ran out of here,” she says, “I know things have been bad for you lately, Cullen. But let me know where you go next time. I was worried you’d get lost.”

“I’m a grown man!”

“Yes, but you’re a grown man in a new town. I didn’t want to find you at midnight wandering the streets. I’m glad you came back though. And I am happy you apologized.”

She smiles, and places a hand on Cullen’s shoulder, her grip strong and reassuring.

“I forgive you,” she says, “Thank you for apologizing.”

“No, thank you for forgiving me.”

She just chuckles, and goes over to her desk. Cullen follows, Captain right beside him.

 

“I’m going to give you the week off,” Cassandra says to him, “Relax, take some time to get to know the people in this town. Tomorrow you will probably meet some of them. Try to be more sociable. This Elavi girl seems like a good start.”

“I-I dunno,” he says, a bit flustered at the idea of talking to Elavi again, “I’d like to play some more piano honestly--”

“No,” Cassandra scolds, “No music for this week. Just take this time to relax and have fun with people. You’ve been here for a while now, Cullen. Make some friends.”

“You sound like my mother.”

“Someone has to take care of you. I may as well attempt it.”

Cullen laughs. “Thanks, Cassandra.”

She just smiles, and waves him away.

 

“Tomorrow, at eleven thirty, I’ll meet you at the cafe?” Cullen asks, and she nods.

“I will see you tomorrow, Cullen,” she says, grinning, “Have a good night.”

“You too,” he says, and takes his leave.

 

That went surprisingly well. He walks happily home, glad that she forgave him. He had tried to be honest and sincere like Elavi said, and it worked. He was pretty proud of himself as well, honestly. He can do things if he sets his mind to it.

Elavi’s smile flashed in his mind again. He made a mental note to thank her tomorrow for her advice. She helped give him the confidence to apologize.

He smiled. He looked forward to tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello there! my name is mars and thank you so much for reading my story! this is the first time i've ever written anything with my inquisitor and her relationship with cullen so i hoped you enjoyed!!  
> any feedback is greatly appreciated! what did you think of the story, the characterization? plz let me know! and if you see any mistakes, feel free to correct me!! i just would love to get some comments from my readers!!  
> again, thank you for reading this story! i look forward to updating this fic when i can!!
> 
> (contact me at oceanicmarina.tumblr.com!)


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